RIP John Prine
This feels like the day I came home and learned Jimi Hendrix was dead.
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/obituary/9346434/john-prine-dead-coronavirus
"Well-known for his story songs with vivid imagery and indelible characters, whose humanity shone through their troubles, Prine had countless artists cover his tunes, including Johnny Cash (“Sam Stone”), Bette Midler (“Hello in There”) and Bonnie Raitt (“Angel From Montgomery”), as well as Zac Brown Band (“All the Best”), Miranda Lambert (“That’s the Way the World Goes Round”) and George Strait (“I Just Want to Dance with You”). He is also an uncredited co-writer on “You Never Even Call Me by My Name,” made famous by David Allan Coe and recorded by countless others."
“You Never Even Call Me by My Name,” the perfect country and western song.
It IS the perfect country and western song, but only because it had lyrics about mama
and trains, and trucks, and prison, and gettin' drunk
https://youtu.be/w5Rkm_dqm7A
When I get to heaven I'm gonna shake God's hand, Thank him for more blessings than one man can stand, Then I'm gonna get a guitar and start a rock-n-roll band, check into a swell hotel; ain't the afterlife grand?
And then I'm gonna get a cocktail: vodka and ginger ale
Yeah, I'm gonna smoke a cigarette that's nine miles long
I'm gonna kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl
'Cause this old man is goin' to town
RIP, in spite of ourselves is one of my favorites
Saw him twice. My college roommate turned me on to him. My wife had never heard of him, but after seeing him, she was an instant fan. Down to Earth guy who wrote lyrics that spoke to you. I'm a veteran, and "Sam Stone" was my anthem. Some lyrics were fun ("Illegal Smile," "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore," "Ain't Hurtin' Nobody," etc.) and others cut deep into the emotions ("Sam Stone," "Hello in There," "We are the Lonely," and so many others).
These last two days are shit. My deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.
A songwriter if ever there was. Guess I'll be listening to Paradise today.
I think in one of the music threads, someone on the board called him a "national treasure". And that he was...
Very sad. I wish I would've seen him with Jason Isbell when I had the chance. Fish and Whistle and Sweet Revenge will always be two of my favorites
One of the things that amazes me is that across social media, I've seen close to 20 people post tributes and I don't think that a single song has been repeated. The breadth of people that Prine was able to speak to is unmatched. Thanks to him for seeing me through many a road trip.
The way I've always looked at Prine, was that he could open the dictionary to any one page and write the most beautiful song ever, just using the words on that page...and he could do it over and over, for each page of the dictionary. Not only that, but he could do it in an hour, then get on stage and perform it and it would be the best song you ever heard, until you heard his next one. RIP John Prine
Whenever I heard the name John Prine, I immediately thought of "Dear Abby."
This guy was/is a staple in our home and cabin. He was such a unique artist. So many great songs.
Was fortunate to have seen him in concert a half dozen times. A humble man and a terrific song writer and story teller. I hope he is now standing by peaceful waters.
He was 73 and had survived throat cancer and released a terrific album last year, only to get offed by a preventable pandemic. He had the song for that, all right: Some Humans Ain't Human. He had a song for everything (there's one from his last album called The Lonesome Friends of Science). He even left instructions years and years ago:
Please don't bury me in that cold cold ground
I'd rather have them cut me up and pass my parts around
Throw my brains in a hurricane and the blind can have my eyes
The deaf can take both my ears if they don't mind the size
He's been part of the soundtrack of my life for 50 years, since I learned Angel from Montgomery on guitar. The world is a worse place today than it was yesterday. I knew he was unlikely to survive, but during the last week I kept hoping he would somehow pull through so he could live to write a song skewering the blathering morons who could have saved him and so many others.
I was in high school when his first album came out. One of my best friends bought it and we listened to it over and over. When I got to AA, I had to buy my own copy, still have it.
While listening to Sam Stone one day, another friend of mine chirped, 'he's done it, he's done heroin', after hearing the line, 'the gold rolled through his veins, like a thousand railroad trains'.
I wonder if John Prine ever had a flag decal on his car?
RIP sweet prince.
Some of my favorite nights were hanging out around a bonfire with some beverages and singing out our favorite JP tunes. Rest in Peace Mr Prine.
This one hit me hard. I appreciate his music and everything he stood for.